Yule logs are such a fun Christmas cake and make the perfect centerpiece for your holiday table! This Black Forest Yule Log Cake has all the yumminess of black forest cake, with a simple creamy filling of whipped cream and canned cherries, all rolled up in a swiss roll log cake, and covered in creamy chocolate ganache.
This Black Forest Log Cake recipe was inspired by my black forest trifle and is popular at Christmas. It pairs well with any Christmas dinner but goes great with a turkey dinner or ham dinner.
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The original swiss roll recipe came from a recipe my son brought home from his cooking class in middle school. He loves making it every year but this year I wanted to make something different. Since I love black forest cake so much, I wanted to turn it into a black forest yule log.
🥘Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make a Black Forest Yule log cake:
Cake:
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp melted butter * I use unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (whipping cream-33-35%)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar + additional for sprinkling (icing sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned cherry pie filling
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate baking bar
- 3 Maraschino cherries
- 2 spearmint gummy leaves (affiliate link)
🔪Instructions
Although a chocolate sponge cake can be a bit of a challenging cake to make, as the biggest challenge is cracking, in this case, cracking is not an issue. In fact, it's fine if it cracks, as it makes it look more log-like. And you cover the log in chocolate ganache anyway, so any 'blemishes' or mistakes are hidden.
Prep: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).
Place a large sheet of parchment paper on a 17X12 sheet pan (jelly roll pan) and grease with butter (make sure it's at least an inch or two larger than the jelly roll pan).
*it's actually easier to take it off the pan and grease it on a flat surface (counter or table), then put it back on
Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl.
*you can use a double boiler for this step, if you have one
Then place over simmering water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl at any time.
Using a whisk continually beat the egg mixture until the eggs are thick, pale yellow, and warm to the touch (around 120 degrees F/48 degrees C) It should feel like warm tap water.
An instant-read thermometer is the best way to do this
Remove the egg bowl from the heat and continue beating on high speed with an electric mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer) until the mixture is thick and airy, and has reached the ribbon stage.* This means that when you drag and drizzle a spoonful of liquid it shouldn't settle back into the liquid for a good 5-10 seconds.
Mix in the melted butter with a spoon or spatula (do NOT beat in with a mixer)
In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and gently fold it into the eggs with a spatula.
You need to be patient doing this -fold gently only mix until combined (or the batter will fall)
Spread the batter onto the buttered parchment, leaving approximately an inch from the edges of the parchment.
Bake the cake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes, until springy to the touch and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Prepare a new piece of parchment paper by sprinkling it lightly with cocoa powder.
Flip the cake onto the parchment, then remove the parchment the cake was baked on.
Gently roll the cake up in the parchment, into a log, while it is still warm. *This is like muscle memory for the cake and it will roll easier again later.* Don't worry if it cracks (it will look more log-like anyway)
Allow cake to cool in this rolled-up position.
Whip the heavy cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form.
Add vanilla and powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.
Whip to stiff peaks
Unroll the cooled cake, then spread the cream all over, leaving a one-inch border all around the edges
Spread the canned cherries on top of the whipped cream.
Roll the cake up gently, without the parchment paper this time.
Place on a wire rack, with parchment or wax paper underneath (for pouring ganache
Microwave the whipped cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl for 30-second intervals at ½ power (50%), stirring after each time until combined.
*Alternatively, you could do this in a double boiler.
Do not overcook this, as the chocolate melts into the whipped cream each time you stir it.
If needed: add a tablespoon of milk, which will give some pourable consistency to the ganache.(I did not need to do this)
Pour the ganache over the cake, spreading with a spatula to cover all of it.
Etch lines in the ganache to look like tree bark. You can use a butter knife or a spatula to do this.
Refrigerate for one hour before serving on a cake platter (or a serving platter), so the ganache can firm up.
Garnish with spearmint gummy leaves, and maraschino cherries, and sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the chocolate ganache.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Butter - you can use salted butter instead of unsalted, just leave out the salt in the recipe
- Garnish: you could use a different type of edible garnish (for instance cranberries or regular cherries) or a garnish that isn't edible
- Filling: you could use frosting instead of whipped cream if you wish.
🥗 Main Dishes
Main dishes that go well with this Yule Log Cake are:
- Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Quinoa Cranberry Stuffing
- Baked Beef Cannelloni
- Easy Cornish Hens with Rosemary Wine Sauce (shown)
- Picnic Ham with Orange Glaze Recipe
- Air Fryer Roast Chicken (with lemon, rosemary and garlic)
- Make-Ahead Lasagna (with no boil noodles)
🍽Equipment
You will need a jelly roll baking sheet (12X17X1), a cooling rack, an electric mixer (a hand mixer or a stand mixer), spatulas, trivets, a whisk and mixing bowls (affiliate links) to make this Christmas Yule Log Cake.
An instant-read thermometer (affiliate link) also comes in very handy for ensuring your eggs are at the right temperature for this recipe (120 degrees F/48 degrees C).
This tool is a great investment because you can use it in so many recipes; it's great for everything food related!! Use an instant-read thermometer to assess the doneness of food without having to cut into it. It's ideal for:
- breads, freeform loaves, and soft rolls
- meats (pork, chicken, salmon, beef etc)
- grilled food
- roasted food
- air fryer food
- baked desserts
🌡️Storage
Store leftover yule log cake in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Do not freeze leftovers, as whipped cream does not freeze well and will become runny when defrosted.
You can make the cake in advance and freeze it without the filling (rolled up) in a sealed container. But make sure it is completely defrosted before you unroll it.
👪 Serving Size
This black forest bûche de noël recipe makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. However, you'll need additional jelly roll pans if you make more than one cake.
💭Top Tips
The trick is to roll the cake up while it's still warm. If you don't roll it soon enough, it will crack. I had to take process photos, so I was a little late to the party when it came to rolling, so mine cracked a bit. But as I said, for this cake that's perfectly fine!
The other tip is to be very careful when you are making the sponge batter, especially when you are folding the dry ingredients into the egg mixture
🦺Food safety
- Do not eat raw cake batter
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw eggs
- Wash hands after touching raw eggs
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- Never leave cooking food unattended
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
A yule log, or Bûche de Noël, is simply a swiss roll decorated to look like a Christmas log. That is the only difference.
So if you are looking for a simple and delicious yule log with a twist, give this Black Forest Yule Log recipe a try!
And, if you love this Black Forest Yule Log Cake, you'll probably love my Black Forest Tiramisu too!
📋 Black Forest Yule Log Cake recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake:
- 4 eggs (large)
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ¼ tsp salt
Filling
- 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup canned cherry pie filling
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 3 oz semi- sweet bakers chocolate
- ½ cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
Garnish
- 3 Marachino cherries
- 3 spearmint gummy leaves
- powdered sugar (sprinkled)
Instructions
*Instruction images will NOT print by default. You must click 'instruction images' option.
Cake
- Place parchment paper on a 17X12 sheet pan and grease with butter
- Bring an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan
- Whisk eggs and sugar in heatproof bowl, then palce over simmering water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the botto of the bowl at any time.
- Using a hand mixer (or whisk) continually beat the egg mixture until the eggs are thick, pale yellow and warm to the touch (around120 degrees F) It shoudl feel like warm tap water.
- Remove the egg bowl from the heat and continue beating on high speed with an electric mixer, until the mixture is thick and airy and has reached the ribbon stage.* This means that when you drag and drizzle a spoonful of liquid it shouldn't settle back into the liquid for a good 5-10 seconds.
- Mix in the melted butter with a spoon (do NOT beat in with mixer)
- In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour and salt.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and gently fold it into the eggs with a spatula.
- * You need to be patient doing this - only mix until combined or batter will fall/deflate.
- Spread the batter onto the buttered parchment, leaving approximately an inch from the edges of the parchment.
- Bake the cake for 8 minutes, until springy to the touch and cake test or toothpick comes out clean
- Prepare a new piece of parchment paper by sprinkling it lightly with cocoa powder.
- Flip the cake onto the parchment, then remove the parchment the cake was baked on.
- Gently roll the cake up in the parchment, into a log, while it is still warm. *This is like muscle memory for the cake and it will roll easier again later. * Don't worry if it cracks (it will look more log-like anyway)
- Leave it in this rolled up position to cool.
Filling
- In a large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream in a large bowl on medium speed, increasing to high speed, untl soft peaks form.
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar.
- Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Unroll the cooled cake, then spread the cream all over, leaving a one inch border all around the edges
- Spread the canned cherries on top of the whipped cream.
- Roll the cake up gently, without the parchment paper this time. Place on a wire rack, with parchment or wax paper underneath (for pouring ganache)
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Microwave the whipping cream and dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl for 30 second intervals at ½ power (50%), stirring after each time until combined.
- Each time you take it out to stir, the chocolate will melt more in the hot cream. You want to heat it as little as possible. If needed: add a tablespoon of milk, which will give some pourable consistency to the ganache. (I did not need to do this)
- Pour the ganache over the cake, spreading with a spatula to cover all of it and etch lines in it to look like a log (you can use a spatula as I did, or the blunt side of a butter knife).
Garnish
- Refrigerate for one hour before serving, so the ganache can firm up. Add 3 cherries and 3 spearmint candy leaves on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
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